Love Conquers All, Book 1 - Love Over Gold
by Ultrawoman
Summary: [ON HOLD til 2015] Belle believes so strongly in her love for Rumpelstiltskin, she refuses to be thrown out of the Dark Castle. When he tells her why his power matters more than their love, she only wants to help in the search for Baelfire. The revelations that follow could have a great impact on not just the lives of Rumpel and Belle, but the whole of the Enchanted Forest.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So this is an idea that spun off from another that comes after it. Put more simply, I had an idea for a SwanFire fic, but in order to get to the point of writing that, I needed this story as a prequel. This one is all about the Rumbelle and the Rumpel-Bae relationship too. I hope it gets a few readers, but if not, I'm going to write it anyway, just because I love the entire arc I've come up with - I just hope I can do the concept that's in my head some justice in the actual writing of it!**

_**Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Once Upon A Time belongs to the creators and writers, not me.**_

Book 1, Chapter 1

It was true love. He would like to deny it because it suited him better to believe she was in cahoots with Regina. Easier to let himself think it was all a charade, a trick, but Rumpelstiltskin knew the truth. The feelings he had for Belle were such that he never expected to feel again, if he had ever felt them at all. He had loved Milah, she was his wife and he had adored her, and yet Belle was so different. As beautiful and courageous certainly, all the best of his previous beloved and yet so much more besides. Milah had struggled to love the man Rumpelstiltskin had become, and yet Belle seemed able to find a place in her heart for the monster he was now. It ought not to be possible.

In looks he was not handsome, if he ever had been as a man, he certainly wasn't as the Dark One. In temper he was that much worse, and his heart so black and charred it was surely beyond saving, so Rumpel had always thought until she came into his life.

Green-gold fingers went absently to his lips as he recalled what had gone before. True love's kiss, it was the only thing strong enough to break even the Dark One's curse. He rarely thought of what he was as such a terrible thing. His status gave him power, control, the abilities he needed to get to his son, his Bae. Without the power of the Dark One to wield, he would never see Baelfire again, Rumpelstiltskin was sure on that, or he had been until Belle.

Believing in oneself was easy enough with all the powers that Rumpel possessed, but as a man he was a coward, useless and hopeless. Belle did not seem concerned by either the darkness in his heart or how lacking he might be as a man if he became one again. She said she loved him, the touch of her lips bringing back his former self proving it completely to Rumpelstiltskin, and yet he could not give in.

Accusing her of being in league with Regina was foolish. The idea had to be considered. After all, his one-time student was one for pulling pranks, and causing him to lose his powers, making her the all-powerful one, that would suit the woman they called the Evil Queen all too well, Rumpel was sure. Still, he didn't really believe for a moment that Belle was working for her, not by choice, not even by coercion. Regina put the idea in her head, but sweet innocent Belle meant him no harm, and up until he threw her back into her dungeon, she had believed them to be in love.

"Love," the word echoed from the Dark One's mouth as he thought of that moment, Belle's lips against his own.

It had been quite the rush, a feeling the like of which he had never known before as her sweet affection enveloped him, surging into all the spaces, pushing the magic out and replacing it with its own power. If true love were the most powerful magic, and Rumpel knew that to be true, he wondered at being afraid of letting it replace what he already possessed. Without practical magic he would never see his son again, that had been his first thought, and a hundred other thoughts after that, but he had to wonder if he were being honest with himself.

Looking towards the door, Rumpel considered his options. He turned away again in a moment. He couldn't give in, couldn't let that little wench into his mind, into his heart. Fingers pressing to his temples, he backed against the wall as if putting more distance between himself and Belle, all of an extra ten feet, would make a difference to her effect upon him. If he threw her out entirely she would still haunt his dreams, both asleep and waking. She had wormed her way in, crept under the door like the mouse she seemed to be, and now he would never be free of her. Rumpelstiltskin never thought he would be the one locked in a cage, at least not until the time was right, but he was more imprisoned than Belle now that she had his heart, his stupid weak little heart.

Tearing out of the room, he hurried down the steps to the dungeon, unbolting the lock with a wave of his hand and flinging the door aside the same way. Belle didn't even flinch as he stalked into the room and faced her. She was tear-stained and sad enough, but defiant as anything as soon as he entered. Up on her feet, she stared him down like a true adversary. Rumpelstiltskin would have been proud of her if he could bear to look at her more than a second at a time.

"Get out!" he told her, eyes to the ground because it ought to be easier.

That might have been true if she weren't standing so close, smelling of roses and looking like an angel. She didn't offer to move, to leave as he told her to. He thought of repeating himself but never got the chance.

"Why?" she asked. "Why do you want me to leave? Because I love you?" she challenged him.

Rumpel's temper rose and yet just as soon as he brought his eyes up to met hers he lost the fight inside himself. It did make him angry that she had so confounded him, with her talk of love and her powerful kiss, but more than that he was frustrated by the situation he found himself caught in. He wanted her, he cared about her, the first person he had felt anything real for in more years than he cared to calculate. This beautiful, exquisite woman who could fall in love with a beast like him, it was quite incredible, and yet he must keep his distance, must remove the threat to his power.

"I don't want you anymore, dearie," he said coldly, looking away because he had to if he was ever going to succeed in throwing her out. "You speak falsehoods and you annoy me," he lied through his teeth and they both knew it.

"Falsehoods?" she echoed, laughter almost creeping into her words, albeit the humourless scoffing kind. "You don't believe that. I know you felt it, your curse lifting. Of all people, you know that means this is true love. It wouldn't work if it was anything less," she insisted, fighting to meet his eyes even as he looked everywhere but at her.

Rumpel wanted to argue, would have given anything to be able to, would've given more to be able to kiss her again but he couldn't. The love of a good woman, a woman like Belle that he could never deserve but ached to try, it ought to be everything to him, but there was something more for Rumpel. Baelfire was his son, his blood, the only connection he had left, the only person he ever broke a deal with. He had to make it up to him, bring his boy home, spend the rest of his years repenting, repaying. He couldn't do that if he let Belle distract him, if he let her love him and take away the power he so needed.

"True love it may be, dearie," he told her, much more quietly than he had been speaking before, finally letting his gaze meet her own determined look. "But I have something larger to lose than my magic if I allow you in," he said, hand over his battered under-used heart. "My son."

Belle frowned at his confession. He had mentioned his son, spoken of him with affection and yet been vague about what exactly happened to the boy. If there was a way for Rumpel to get his child back, then of course Belle wanted that too, she wanted him happy more than anything. What that had to do with her loving him, with his dark magic, she couldn't understand.

"You think you need magic to bring your son home?" she asked curiously.

Rumpelstiltskin visibly swallowed hard.

"My boy, Baelfire," he nodded then. "He is lost to another realm, and if I am to find him, I need my power," he said softly, eyes becoming like solid ice a second later. "You are a distraction, dearie, one I can ill afford, so you must go."

The idea of her causing him never to find Bae was enough to harden Rumpel's heart against Belle in an instant, but she would not be so easily cast aside. She truly loved him. His happiness meant as much if not more than her own. With that being true, Rumpelstiltskin ought to have realised that Belle would make sacrifices for him, even if he could make none for her.

"I don't want to distract you, Rumpel," she urged him to understand, a hand reaching out to him, but he very deliberately backed up a step.

It hurt to have him back away again, but she understood. He feared the loss of his power, as she suspected, but he had good reasons. Rumpel needed the power of the Dark One to find his son, the only other person in the world that really mattered to him. Belle understood that, and was determined that her true love not have to make a choice between the boy and her. He could have both, he would have them.

"You like to make deals," she smiled then, knowing she could quite easily play him at his own game. "The one you made with my father tied me to you, to this place, for the rest of my life. Now you say you want to break that agreement? Well, I don't", she said firmly. "So, we renegotiate."

She had him intrigued, Belle knew she did. His eyes lit up with curiousity and intrigue as he stared at her, head tilting as he wondered where her plans tended now.

"Go on," he prompted when she did not continue immediately.

Belle bit back a smile, mindful of looking too triumphant before anything was firmly settled. Still, she had his attention, and she had a plan.

"I want to stay here with you, I want to be allowed to love you, but I do understand what it would cost," she nodded earnestly. "If you let me stay, let me help you get to your son, to bring Baelfire home maybe, then I will promise not to do anything that will cause you to lose your power."

Rumpelstiltskin considered her proposition carefully, as one always should with potentially life-altering deals. So many jumped in with both feet, never mind the consequences, but not Rumpel. He knew the dangers, and so much more than most other beings could ever understand. He would love for Belle to stay here. She was distracting and a temptation, no question on that, but she wanted to help him and to love him. She could be an asset in his life, in so many ways, so very many joyous ways. The fact remained of course that he already had a way to get Bae back and doubted Belle could be of any further help in that area. Of course, he had also thought no-one in the world could ever love him again, and she had proven him wrong.

"If I allow you to stay," he said, emphasis on the 'if', "you will do as you are told, still clean and polish, keep the estate as I wish it," he told her definitely. "You may read your books, attempt to assist me in my endeavours to find Baelfire, but you will not stir out of the castle grounds anymore. I will not have Regina telling tales."

"I don't want to go anywhere, you silly man," Belle laughed more out of relief than anything else. "Haven't you been listening? I only want to be allowed to stay. I only want to help you, and... and love you," she said definitely.

Rumpel didn't mind hearing those words. There was a skip in his heart that made him feel a hundred years younger whenever the word 'love' passed her lips, when she smiled at him just so. Belle was a tonic in his life, one he never knew he needed until she came around. Now she wished to stay, to keep her distance enough that he would not lose the powers he needed, but to love him because it was all she could think to do. She could be dangerous. In fact, Rumpel could prove a danger to himself as sorely tempted as he was by the vixen, but that was by the by.

"Then you shall stay," he said, turning towards the door, pausing on the threshold. "But, if you dare to try to kiss me again or work any sort of trick, you will die."

He couldn't look at her when he said it. Such an empty threat would never carry if he had to meet her eyes. As it was she had to know he wasn't entirely serious. To admit love for a person and then threaten their life, it would take a mad man or a monster to mean such words. She had already proven she believed him to be neither, his dear sweet Belle.

"You have my word, I will keep my side of the deal for as long as you keep yours," she said somewhere behind him. "And we will find your son, Rumpelstiltskin. Together, I truly believe we can do anything."

He smiled a sad smile at that, hoping rather than believing she was right. He had a plan in motion to get to Baelfire, but it was far from guaranteed or fool proof. It hinged greatly on Regina doing as she was told, something the Evil Queen was not prone to doing, especially of late. Perhaps there was another way and if anyone was willing to help him find it, Rumpel was sure Belle would be the one, his love, his saviour... He frowned a little at the wording that came to mind, and then headed back to his private rooms for now. He needed to think.

_To Be Continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Book 1, Chapter 2

It had been a few weeks now since their new arrangement was made. Belle's presence in Rumpel's life was as distracting as he expected, especially now he knew the taste of her lips, the softness of her skin. He craved her and yet held firm in what he said about them never being close, her never kissing him again. It was not worth the inevitable outcome, not while Bae was still lost somewhere out there. Of course what Rumpel hadn't bargained for was the strength and joy he got out of Belle's company. She may be distracting sometimes, but she could focus his mind like no other as well. When he came home from a trip, making deals with Regina, Snow White, Prince Charming or whoever else would assist his cause, it was pleasant enough to find her waiting with a cup of tea and a bright inviting smile. He told her little of what he did all day and she seemed to know better than to ask. Instead they discussed books she had read, and times past that he had known, nothing incriminating or dangerous for either of them to be a part of.

Sometimes they spoke of Baelfire. Belle was eager to know more about him, and Rumpel found it pleasant enough to speak of his dear son's childhood. He left out much when it came to Milah, only sticking to his original story that she died. It was the truth, not the whole truth, but enough for now. Instead of her, he fixed his tales on Bae, on the good times when father and son were inseparable and loved each other so. Belle delighted in the stories and told a few of her own, about being a girl in the castle of her father, about the mother she missed terribly and the people who had been her friends. She spoke rarely of being parted from them, and always changed the subject quickly if she felt her resolve start to crumble. Each and every time, Rumpel came close to offering her the chance to go home, and yet he knew it was pointless. Belle had struck not one but two deals when it came to staying in the Dark Castle. She would not break her word even if given the chance, she so wanted to stay. Every day, Rumpelstiltskin asked himself why she would want him, how she could love him, but never managed to come up with an answer that made sense.

This particular day was one on which Belle was a minor topic in his mind, the one and only more important person he had ever known pushing her aside from his thoughts. Today was Baelfire's birthday.

"How old will he be?" asked Belle, at which Rumpel smiled.

"That really depends on where he is," he explained. "My boy was headed for the land without magic, and I can only assume that is where he remains, but I cannot know for sure. To myself, he shall be fourteen until we meet again."

With a wave of his hand, Rumpel was suddenly holding an old piece of vellum, on which there was a charcoal rendering of a young boy. He showed the picture to Belle and watched a smile spread across her lips.

"He is a handsome young man, and I am certain good of heart," she declared.

"You cannot tell that from a drawing," Rumpel snapped, magicking the paper away.

"I have good instincts where people are concerned," she reminded him with a look. "And I'm sure wherever Baelfire is today, he's thinking of his father, wishing you two were together."

Rumpelstiltskin would like to believe that what she said was true, but he had his doubts. He and Bae had parted on bad terms, a deal undone, a promise broken. After all these years, Rumple hoped that his boy might forgive him, but that could only come to pass if his son could even be found. His Dark Curse that he planned to have Regina cast would take him to the Land Without Magic where Baelfire was likely still to be, and yet Rumpel wasn't entirely comfortable in his own presumptions.

"I have plans in progress," he told Belle. "Not sure Bae would approve of them, but they would bring me to him, bring us to him perhaps," he smiled slightly.

"Us to him?" she questioned. "I thought the idea was to bring him home to you?"

"That is a great deal easier said than done, dearie," he sighed.

Rumpel had never told Belle his plans, the whole truth about the Dark Curse. She suspected things, he was certain, though she never did ask out-right. He wondered if she was afraid to delve too deep, and yet she professed to love him and never seemed shy about saying what she wanted. No, Rumpel suspected she was more worried about causing him pain rather than starting a fight or finding out something that scared her. He wondered if she was even capable of fear, given all she had already faced without wavering.

"You remember your dealings with the Evil Queen?" he said with a flourish of his hands as he got up from his seat.

"Of course," said Belle, looking almost guilty as she recalled that day.

"She thinks she is in charge of her own destiny," he continued to explain, wandering around the room, shifting trinkets on their plinths, taking a look out of the window. "I have known her since she was a child, and she is unknowingly the key to bringing my child back to me," he concluded, pointing to himself as he grinned widely.

"You... you're controlling her?" asked Belle, confusion etched on her face.

Of course she knew of Rumpelstiltskin's deals. He was famous for them, and for the harm they had caused to some. She couldn't justify it any more than he could, and Belle was fairly certain he didn't care to in any case. Still, to find he was the one controlling Regina, and therefore affecting the lives of Snow White and so many others, it seemed so wrong.

Rumpelstiltskin's eyes narrowed at her tone. She was judging and he knew it. Belle was a fine person with a good heart. Though she knew much of what he had done and seemed to accept it anyway, she could not possibly approve of the worst of his crimes. She did not know all but only some. What she did know did not seem to colour her good opinion, perhaps because she blamed much of his questionable behaviour on the darkness within him, something she saw as separate to the man he should be. Still, Rumpel would not take her insolence or accusatory tone, that much he made clear.

"You will not judge me, dearie," he said coldly. "Unless perhaps the 'twue love' you told me of was merely fleeting after all?"

Belle got as mad as he seemed to be at that suggestion.

"You think it's that simple?" she scoffed. "I know you, Rumpel, I know what you are, I'm under no illusions. My love for you is true, that much I've proven, but that doesn't mean I have to approve of everything you do," she explained.

"Then the Dark Curse must be on my list of faults," he smiled in spite of the evil he spoke of. "Regina shall cast this curse and we all shall be banished to the Land Without Magic, where I shall find Bae. Not even you can stop the plan in motion, Belle," he said definitely, defiant as he had ever been,

Belle didn't know what to say. A curse was to be cast. Why Rumpel was not casting it himself, she had no idea, and asking him seemed pointless when he was in this kind of mood. Clearly the emotions of the day were playing with his head and heart, painful memories making him so angry and sad. Leaving him alone seemed cruel in one way, and yet probably for the best in the long run. She excused herself to the library, and Belle was only glad Rumpel didn't argue with her going. She had research to do into this Dark Curse that he spoke of, and into the other worlds a person might travel to and the means by which the journey might be taken. If she could help Rumpel get Baelfire back without hurting anyone else in the process, that would be ideal. She believed that perhaps she could, and sometimes a little faith was all that was needed, Belle knew. Together, she and Rumpel could achieve anything, she was certain, and even if she turned out to be wrong, at least she could say she had tried.

* * *

><p>Belle hated to feel useless. It happened a lot when she lived at home in her own kingdom, for she was a woman and seen as lowly in the eyes of men, no matter her title of Lady. She was of substance and breeding, but considered of no brains worth mentioning. That at least ceased to be true for as long as she was within the walls of the Dark Castle. Rumpelstiltskin had brought her here to cook and clean, skills she had never needed before and had to acquire, but he never thought her stupid, at least not after the first few days of getting to know her.<p>

It had been months now since she arrived at the castle, and weeks since Belle and Rumpel had made their new deal. She loved him, and since she could not prove her love in the usual ways, through physical intimacy and the like, she chose to prove it by dedication. They talked a great deal, about all kinds of things, and the man they called the Dark One imparted many secrets Belle was sure he had seldom shared before with anyone else. She told him a lot about herself too, even if there were a limited number of things to tell that anyone would ever care to hear. It wasn't just the talking and time spent in his company that proved Belle's dedication to her love for Rumpel. She wanted to help with Baelfire too.

Getting his son back in his life was Rumpel's top priority. His idea of having Regina cast a Dark Curse over the land would work, Belle had no doubt, but the cost of it would be great. A whole swathe of people, the entire land, to have their memories wiped clean like blank slates, to live in a world they didn't understand as persons unknown. It was terrifying, and would tear a great many lives asunder. For herself, as much as anyone, Belle did want to live that way. To forget Rumpelstiltskin and the love they shared, to see her father again perhaps and not know it, she did not want to live that way, and yet these were only selfish reasons to find another way.

Belle considered the suffering of others. Snow White and Prince Charming were said to have made it as far as their wedding and beyond. There was talk of a child to be born, an innocent. Belle could not stand the thought of others losing their children just so Rumpel could get his back. She had told him as much and watched him grow angry. Belle was never scared when he lost his temper and she would not avoid bringing up topics that angered him just to avoid a fight. He was being selfish. It still didn't change the fact that she loved him, but his selfish temper was a trait she did not like, even if she could accept it.

Diligently, Belle worked on finding another way. If Baelfire was indeed in the Land Without Magic there had to be a way to find him and bring him home, or travel to him without the need for the dreadful Dark Curse. She poured over books, spoke in length to Rumpel's associate Jefferson about the abilities of his travelling hat, but everything seemed like a dead end.

Spells and curses almost always had the most vile consequences, and though she was sure that Jefferson's hat would easily take people to the Land Without Magic, there was the chance that there would be no way back since the magic in the hat would cease to activate once they got there. It was suspected that a magic bean could take them across worlds and home again, but a second would be needed or the return journey, and even one seemed impossible to locate these days since the giants land was destroyed.

Belle sighed, got up from the floor of the library and stretched her aching limbs. She went over to the bookshelf and selected another volume. She almost dropped that book on the ground when someone spoke behind her.

"You really are the most dedicated reader I ever met, Belle."

"Jefferson!" she gasped, her hand going over her chest as she turned to look at him. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," he smirked slightly, more amused that he had made her jump than genuinely apologetic, but then Belle was well used to that. "I actually come bearing gifts," he told her, setting down a box on the desk in the corner.

Belle frowned at that. She couldn't imagine what kind of gift Jefferson would be bringing her. All 'merchandise' he brought to the castle was for Rumpel, either particular requested items or things he thought he could offload for a strand of precious gold. He would stop and talk with Belle sometimes, and Rumpelstiltskin didn't seem to mind too much, but Jefferson never brought gifts

"I don't understand," she said as she wandered over. "It's not my birthday, and you and I are not... I mean, we're friends, but..."

"Relax, Belle," he smiled warmly at her. "This is not a lover's token. As much as I might not understand the attraction between you and the crazy old imp, I know it's for real, and I wouldn't dream of coming between you two," he promised. "After all our conversations about travelling between worlds, and your theory that Rumpelstiltskin's son might not even be in the Land Without Magic anymore, I stumbled upon this and thought you could use it."

Unlatching the box he lifted off the lid to reveal a globe in plain white, almost like frosted glass. Belle had seen those that contained maps of all the lands within the realms of the Enchanted Forest, as well as depictions of other worlds. She had never seen a blank one, which seemed altogether pointless, unless...

"This is magic?" she checked.

"It is," Jefferson nodded his agreement, as Belle stared too intently at the needle point on top of the blank globe. "As I understand it, if you prick your finger on the needle, and think of your lost person whilst the blood drips onto the globe, it will form a map of the place that lost person is, and even mark the spot where you might find them."

Belle was a little sceptical of what he was saying at first, until suddenly she recalled hearing of something similar before. Rushing away she rifled through a pile of carefully sorted books, until she pulled out the particular red leather-bound volume she needed. With a smile on her face she turned to the correct page in moments and rushed back to show Jefferson what she had found. He took the book from her and skimmed down the page, nodding his head as he reached the bottom.

"This is it," he agreed with her assumption. "The description is exactly right, and I see no reason why it can't help you to find the Dark One's son."

Belle's smile faded at that.

"If you know it will work, why bring it to me?" she checked. "You could've taken it to Rumpel..."

"And he would've lost his mind if he knew you ever told me his private business," said Jefferson definitely. "Besides, as much fun as it might be to have Rumpelstiltskin owe me a debt, of gratitude or otherwise, I didn't bring this here for payment. I brought it for you. You have been a friend to me these past months, Belle, a friendly ear when I've struggled with what my life has become. This is thank you," he smiled slightly, tipping his hat as he suddenly turned to go.

He was gone down the stairs before Belle had a chance to even thank him for his kindness. Stepping closer towards the desk where the globe sat, she knew what she had to do. If she could do this, if it proved Bae was in the Land Without Magic there was no reason to ever tell Rumpel she had it, but if he was elsewhere, at least they would know. Honestly Belle hoped for the latter, at least it might put paid to Rumpel's curse idea, and another place might be easier to get to. Baelfire might even be back in the Enchanted Forest by now, that would be the greatest truth to find.

Taking a deep breath, Belle steeled herself against the pain and pricked her finger deliberately on the needle atop the globe. As her blood dripped down she closed her eyes and thought of Baelfire, of all the tales Rumpelstiltskin had told her of the boy, of the charcoal drawing she had seen so many times and committed to memory. Slowly but surely the globe performed it's magic and a map appeared.

* * *

><p>"No!" Rumpel reacted with shock and as close to fear as Belle had ever seen in his face. "No, no, no!" he repeated, turning away.<p>

Belle was astounded by his reaction. She supposed this meant that the Dark Curse would not be of any use, but surely knowing Bae was lost in Neverland could be no worse than the Land Without Magic, yet Rumpel seemed so distressed, she hardly knew what to think. She couldn't know his reasons, because Rumpelstiltskin had never spoken of his father, the king of Neverland, the dreaded Peter Pan.

Inside his mind was so much rage, Rumpelstiltskin could hardly contain it. With Belle in the room, he fought to maintain calm, but it was next to impossible in the circumstances. His boy, his beloved son, Baelfire, was potentially in the clutches of Pan, the monster that had already betrayed Rumpel himself, the reason he had been abandoned as a child and become what he was today. The entire chain began with Malcolm who had since become Peter Pan. The Dark One was enraged.

"Rumpel..." he heard Belle's voice and winced at the sound.

He could not take her comfort now, could not bear it at all.

"Leave me, Belle. I mean it, leave me!" he told her coldly, listening with his back still to her as her heeled shoes clicked out down the corridor.

Then he could let go.

From the hallway Belle heard one almighty crash after another as Rumpel laid waste to his room. Tears came to her eyes and her hand covered her mouth as she stayed, back flat against the wall, listening to the screams and cries of her beloved as he wrecked every stick of furniture, ever fragile trinket, reducing the contents of his room to rubble and tinder. She wanted to make things better, she only wanted to help the one she loved, and yet the news revealed today had made it that much worse.

Belle waited until the crashing finally ended, and all she could hear was whispered cries. Hesitantly she moved back around the corner to the door, pushed it open carefully and saw Rumpel on the floor in the centre of the room, sobbing like his heart would break. Crouching down carefully beside him, Belle wrapped her arm around his shoulders, offering any comfort she could. He flinched as if to get away at first and then turned into her embrace to continue crying all over her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Rumpel," she cried with him, holding him tight, only wanting to help and comfort him. "I'm so sorry."

_To Be Continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Book 1, Chapter 3

It was strange to think she had been here more than eight years now. Sometimes it seemed to Belle as if she never lived anywhere else but the Dark Castle, but for the most part she was amazed at how quickly it had gone by. The rest of the land beckoned her out of the castle grounds and yet she never strayed far beyond the walls. In the gardens, she planted rose bushes and tended the vegetable patch. Sometimes in summer she sat under a tree to read and in winter she would build sculptures in the snow. There were times when Rumpelstiltskin would join her in her various activities both inside the castle and out. He would smile and laugh, dance her around the dining room table or magick up a new dress to please her. Other days he was as dark as his title suggested, sullen and cold, wanting to do nothing but hide away.

Belle accepted all the moods of her true love and did her best to act accordingly. She enjoyed his company when he wanted to share, listened to his troubles when he wished to voice them, and should he beg to be left alone, she found solace in her books and household chores.

Eight years they had lived together here in comfort and good company. Baelfire was still mentioned, most especially on his birthday and the anniversary of his leaving the Enchanted Forest through a portal bound for the Land Without Magic. The trouble was that he wasn't there anymore. Lost to Neverland, apparently he was that much harder to retrieve than ever before. In all these years, Belle had never been able to figure out why. There was little information on Neverland in any of the books she had within the castle walls, and since she would not break her deal with Rumpel by asking to venture as far as any shop to purchase more, she had to put up with not being able to help any further in Rumpel's search for his boy. That hurt, almost as much as being forced to be at arm's length constantly. He would hug her sometimes or allow her to hold his hand, but nothing more intimate than that for fear of what might happen, that his power might be lost.

Belle took it as a good sign that he still abstained from her kiss. If he longed to keep his power then he could not have truly given up on finding Bae, since that was what he reckoned on needing his dark magicks for. Belle fought to keep her hope alive as well as Rumpel's own. She did everything she could to be supportive, but as time went on, it all started to look very bleak.

The Dark Curse that would have banished all inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest to the Land Without Magic was useless now. As such, Rumpel had no wish for it to be cast. Were it to be done, there was every chance he would be impotent of magic himself in the new land, and then getting to Neverland, rescuing Baelfire, it would be ever less likely than getting to him from here.

Regina had been thwarted and for that at least Belle could not be sorry. The Evil Queen had her plans to kill Snow White or at the very least keep her throne from her. When Rumpel had got over the shock of discovering Bae was in Neverland, he had gone directly to Regina's castle and tried to talk her out of the Dark Curse. When that failed, he made a deal with Snow and Charming. In return for owing him a favour, he would render Regina powerless and help them with keeping her trapped somewhere she could no longer do harm. Belle was so proud of him that day, for he had helped so many people, perhaps even levelling the balance that had been so negatively swayed up to now. Surely he saved more lives than he had ever managed to ruin, or so she thought. Honestly, Belle concluded it better never to ask him outright.

In his dark moods, Rumpel had told her some of his very worst deeds. Belle had not liked to hear them, but she knew very well it was all a test. He still could not understand how anyone could love him after all he had done wrong. Belle could not understand how he couldn't see it was not all entirely his fault, or that love was so much stronger than anything else. The power that overcame him when he changed from man to supposed monster had caused him to be ruled by darkness rather than his mind or heart. Even if one could say he had done all he had by his own free will, the over-riding reason for his actions still had to be considered. It was all for the love of Baelfire, and in an attempt to get back to his son. Belle could not condemn Rumpel for loving too much. No man, woman, or child should be censured for that.

"Another year has passed," he said as he lit a candle, the usual symbol that marked Baelfire's birthday.

She had been within the castle for nine of these occasions and on each one she cried tears of pure sadness for both Rumpel and his son whom she had never met. There had to be a way to bring them back together, there just had to, and yet she knew of none and it seemed Rumpel didn't either. She hardly ever mentioned it to him, afraid of his reactions, not wishing to cause further pain, but after so long, Belle could no longer hold her tongue.

"I know so little of Neverland," she admitted quietly. "But I can't help but wonder why it is so difficult to get to. You found a curse powerful enough to take this whole world to the Land Without Magic and yet you know no way to get just the two of us to Neverland?" she asked.

The strange burst of laughter from Rumpelstilstkin's lips startled Belle as he wheeled around to face her. His eyes caught her gaze and she held firm. If she was supposed to be scared, she wasn't. If she was supposed to back down like a hundred times before, well, she wasn't going to. She wanted to know what Rumpel was holding back, certain that there was something, just not knowing what it could possibly be.

"There are ways enough to get to that land," he admitted in too low a voice, bereft of any humour or warmth at all. "Many are rare and hard to come by, the usual beans and portals," he explained with his characteristic hand gestures and flick of his wrist. "One is easier and yet impossible still."

Belle frowned at his riddle, a way he often talked when he only wanted to annoy her she was sure. Still, she would not give in.

"If there is a way..." she began, but Rumpel shook his head.

"You do not understand!" he yelled over whatever she had planned to say. "Why do you persist in bothering me with all your thoughts and fantasies, woman!" he bellowed, moving to stride out of the room.

Belle stepped out into his path, not even flinching as he glared into her face.

"I have lived here for more than eight years," she told him defiantly. "I have loved you, I have stayed with you, and I have never broken my promise not to kiss you in all this time, even though it kills me to be this close to you and never closer," she said, tears filling he eyes that she refused to shed. "I listen to all that you tell me, I deal with your foul moods and accept your flaws, but damn it, Rumpelstiltskin, you made a deal with me! You said you would let me help you find Baelfire. We know he's in Neverland, and you know how to get there, so why the hell are we sitting around lighting candles and doing nothing?" she all but screamed. "You're keeping something from me, I'm more certain of that now than ever before. What is it?"

Rumpelstiltskin watched her rage, as she had never raged before, and something inside of him broke. It might have been more significant even than when she kissed him and almost broke his curse. In spite of her frustrations, which had been bubbling up literally for years, she had held her tongue, kept her countenance. Now it was too much to bear anymore. She was right of course, they had made a deal and he hadn't really been keeping up his end of the bargain. It meant revealing himself to Belle in a way he had not up to now dared to do. She knew everything of Bae and so much more of his unclean past that he hardly liked to remember himself, but no word had ever been spoken when it came to his true fears that lie in Neverland.

"What do you know of that world?" he asked in too quiet a voice. "Of Neverland?"

Belle felt all the fight go out of her at the sound of his child-like voice asking such a question.

"Very little," she admitted at length. "It is rumoured to be a land of imagination and great magic. There are mermaids there, and fairies, pirates even," she reeled off all she knew. "Beyond that..." she shook her head, finding that was literally all the information that came to mind.

Rumpel nodded in understanding. He did not really expect her to know more. It had been quite the deliberate act to keep any and all references to Neverland out of his castle, so all she was likely to know was what she had heard as a child or what she might have gleaned from Jefferson, perhaps even vague mentions in books that talked largely of other things that had accidentally found their way into Rumpel's home. The details of that place were known to few, the exact origins of Peter Pan to even less.

"Come, Belle, sit down," he urged her, still far too quiet for her liking, though she did as he asked.

He led her to a chair and there she sat, Rumpel soon joining her in the next seat over. All the life seemed to have gone out of him after Belle's demands that she hear the truth from him and nothing more. It almost made her feel guilty for getting so angry, but the frustration Belle had been feeling too long now just seemed to boil over out of all her control. At least it seemed that at last she might learn all she wished to know, even if once she heard it she wanted to take back that wish immediately. At least Rumpelstiltskin would no longer bare his burden alone.

"I have been to Neverland," he explained, seemingly looking at the floor and yet Belle believed he was seeing a memory play out behind his eyes. "Only on one occasion, when I was very young. My father took me there."

"Your father?" Belle gasped. "But... but I didn't know that you ever knew him at all. You said you were raised by spinsters?"

"Aye, I was," he confirmed with a dreamy type of smile. "But that was after. My father was a chancer, a crook, and a devil. He had not the Dark One's powers to blame for his selfish ways. Even you would struggle to see the good in him, sweet Belle."

She did not know how to speak to him right now, how to even hold his gaze when he looked at her. Belle had seen Rumpel angry and she had seen him broken, the worst time being when he found out that Baelfire was in Neverland. Still, she had never seen him quite like this, so very much like a lost little boy. It was as if he were reliving a time long ago when his father had clearly hurt him. She dare not say a word and only waited, breath held, until he continued.

"He wanted to start our lives anew. We travelled to Neverland through a portal made with a magic bean," said Rumpelstiltskin eventually, vague hand gestures demonstrating the swirling depths of the gateway that had taken him and his Papa to that far off place. "I thought it would be the start of a better life, but it was not so for me, only for him. Given the chance to have his youth returned and reign eternal in that world, he sacrificed me, his son."

Belle shuddered at the way his voice dropped to a dangerously low level, his hand over his heart as he spoke of its shattering at his father's hand.

"A simple choice was granted to him, Belle. His son or his eternal youth in a land he might rule over. I was torn from him by his own choice. He abandoned me, and now he is more powerful, more dangerous than I could ever be myself. He is the monster they call Peter Pan."

Her heart broke for him, and yet Belle had a sudden understanding of so many things that made little sense before. Rumpel's utter loathing and fear of Neverland and its ruler, his obsession with making things right with his own son. He feared that Baelfire saw him as Rumpel himself saw his own father, a man who abandoned him, sacrificed him for his own greed and power. That was not exactly what had happened, but she could see how it might be perceived that way. Tears ran down her cheeks unchecked as she reached to grasp Rumpel's hand between both of her own.

"I am so sorry for what you have suffered, Rumpel," she told him, only noticing now as he turned wide pained eyes upon her, that he was crying too.

Pulling him into her arms, Belle brought as much comfort as she could, whilst her true loved sobbed on her shoulder. This had been so painful for the both of them, but at least now she knew the truth and could help him move forward. That was all she ever wanted to do.

_To Be Continued..._


	4. Chapter 4

_**(for disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Book 1, Chapter 4

It was almost a week now since Rumpelstiltskin had told Belle of his father's fate, how the man who was once named Malcom had been returned to youth and bore the title Peter Pan, the evil ruler of Neverland. It had taken some time for Belle to even comprehend such a tale. After days of thinking over and over on the topic, she still could not reconcile such behaviour. To sacrifice a child's love and happiness for your own selfish ends, Belle knew Rumpel was as guilty as Malcolm on that score, but the difference was the behaviour that came after.

From the very moment Rumpel lost Bae he seemed to have been searching for a way to get him back. Over the years of living together in the Dark Castle, he had explained in detail all that he had done to retrieve his own lost boy. He had manipulated not just Regina but her mother before her, and a hundred other nameless, faceless people like pawns on an enormous chess board the size of all the lands combined. Belle was disgusted in one way and utterly impressed in another. Rumpelstiltskin was a genius in his way, and though his despicable acts did not make her love him more, she could never say she loved him less.

There was a good man buried deep beneath the Dark One's power and strange looks. He was the person Belle had fallen in love with, the one she believed in with all her heart. She vowed still to help him get his son back, and Rumpel's confessions about Neverland only made her more determined to rescue Baelfire from that place. If he was under Pan's control, being hurt in some way, it was just too awful to comprehend. Though Belle had never met Bae, she felt so much as if she knew him after years of hearing tales, staring into the dark eyes of the boy in pictures Rumpel kept always close. She had to do something.

There was no-one to turn to for guidance anymore. Jefferson had stopped visiting long ago, as had everybody else. Belle had seen no-one but Rumpelstiltskin for years now, and though she would never regret the deal she made to stay within the castle grounds, she did miss other people, any people. At least another perspective on matters might help, but there was no-one.

Belle found solace in her books as she so often had before. It didn't really help. She had little information on Neverland before and no more was to be gleaned from the same few books, read over and over until the leather wore and the spines cracked. The only person who had the facts she needed was Rumpel and it was such a sore topic for him, she hardly dare breathe a word.

She was serving tea to her beloved when he asked her what was wrong. Belle shied away from the question, offering only that she was tired after a hard days cleaning. Rumpel didn't believe her. After so long and so close a relationship as they had now, it was impossible for them not to know each other's quirks. He saw in her face how sad and frustrated she had become and would not rest until she spoke of her reasons.

"You won't like what I tell you," she said definitely, meeting his eyes.

Rumpel stared at her.

"More questions about Neverland," he guessed, his face expressionless. "Go ahead, dearie, I promise not to throw the tea things."

It sounded like he meant to make a joke and yet no humour at all leaked into his tone. Still, he offered her the chance to speak her piece and Belle was determined to take it.

"You told me, more than once, that there is a way to get to Neverland," she reminded him, taking the seat beside his own at the table. "I never understood why you dismissed it every time, and even though I know now that Pan is a part of your concern, I don't believe that's the whole truth," she said firmly.

Rumpel's lips twitched as if he might speak or even smile, but nothing actually seemed to occur, no more than a slight movement like an involuntary tic. Belle pressed on.

"If you love Baelfire the way I know you do, if his safety is so important and your feelings so strong for your son, then you would go through anything to get him back, even facing your own father," she said definitely. "It's not fear and loathing of Pan that stops you going after Bae in Neverland, so please, Rumpel, tell me what the real reason is."

He stared at her for several long beats, whilst Belle's heart pounded in her chest. He didn't look angry, but then Rumpel didn't always. There were these odd moments of calm that seemed to come before he completely exploded at times. If that was what he was going to do now, then Belle felt she was braced accordingly. Still, no real bout of anger ever came.

Rumpelstiltskin got up quickly from his chair and turned away. Belle was right, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He loved her intelligence, and her ever-present ability to see him as the best version of himself, a man Rumpel had believed was long dead until she came into his life. So determined was Belle to see him happy, she would do anything and everything to get Baelfire back. She cared so much, it was almost as if she loved the boy as Rumpel himself did, and all this without ever meeting Bae. She loved him because of Rumpelstiltskin, because he and Baelfire were so deeply connected, by blood and special bond. Belle cared so much more than he could ever deserve and Rumpel knew it, and yet all her attempts to help were in vain.

"It cannot be done," he said almost too softly to be heard. "Even if I could face Pan, and I would for my boy," he said definitely, spinning on his heel to face a now standing Belle. "The way there is not for me, nor any person grown."

Belle frowned at his words. No person grown meant perhaps that only children could travel into Neverland. That would make some sense, if not for the fact she knew from Rumpel himself that his adult father had gained entry all those years ago. Perhaps it was that the only route left available was for children, where no magic beans, curses, or portals existed anymore.

"How can it be done if a person were young enough?" she asked curiously.

"The Shadow Man," Rumpelstiltskin smiled, not a kind and benevolent expression as it should have been but cold and evil as a crocodile.

Belle shuddered as he came closer.

"At night, when little children dream in their beds, they wish for adventures, they call for the shadow to come and take them away," he explained, fingers twitching, eyes flashing as he spun his ghostly tale. "He comes, and they fly away to Neverland... never to be seen again."

It took a moment, as Belle swallowed hard and forced herself to keep eye contact with Rumpel, even when he tried his best to scare her. She wouldn't allow that. The tale he spun was true, she was sure of that. He would not lie to her, especially not about something so very important. The cogs in her brain caught up with the actual words he had said rather than the spooky spin he tried to put on each one. Children called for the shadow.

"The Shadow won't come for just anyone," she said suddenly. "Not for a grown man or woman, only for a child who wishes to see the wonders of Neverland."

"Oh so innocent and young, fly away to the land of fun," Rumpelstiltstkin sang cruelly. "Second star to the right, straight on 'til morning. Never, never come back, leave parents mourning."

Belle fought off another shiver that wanted to run through her entire body. It was all so awful, so cruel. Children dreaming of adventure, ripped from their parents, probably without realising they would never come back. Poor lonely parents, left to wonder whatever happened to their babies. Belle wanted to cry, but she wouldn't give in to the tears that fought to leave her eyes.

"So, we just need a child," she said suddenly.

Rumpel had turned to walk away from her by then, but stopped stock still when he heard her voice.

"If we have someone's child call for the Shadow, he will come. Then it would be simple enough to grab onto it and fly away ourselves, surely."

As far as Belle could fathom, she was saying something completely logical. If they had a good grip on The Shadow and it went back to Neverland, something it was bound to do since that was the place it called home, surely it would deposit her and Rumpel there too. It worked with all the children that willingly followed, therefore magic must be a key part of The Shadow's make up. That being said, it had to have the ability to cross through worlds, and to take 'passengers' with it.

Rumpelstiltskin turned on his heel, ever so slowly and peered back at Belle.

"Ourselves," he echoed the word she herself had used. "You would come with me? To Neverland?"

"I promised you that I would help you find your son, and bring him home, if we could," Belle reminded him, head held high and expression strong. "We could go together to save him."

Even after all this time, Rumpelstiltskin had trouble believing this incredible woman could really love him, and yet she did insist on proving it over and over. Still, there was a flaw in her plan that was plain to see as far as The Dark One was concerned.

"And I suppose you just have a child milling around the castle that we can employ for the task, dearie?" he asked her, knowing of course that she did not.

"No," she replied flatly. "But in these kind of circumstances, I don't think it would be unreasonable for you to make a deal that allowed you to borrow someone's son or daughter for the task."

"Who would be fool enough to allow their child to be put in such peril?" he scoffed, before a thought came into his mind so suddenly, he physically reeled from the impact of it on his brain. "Unless they already owed me favour," he smiled wickedly. "Hmm, time to pay a visit," he chuckled maniacally, and then he was gone.

* * *

><p>"I am not happy about this," said Prince Charming, shaking his head.<p>

Snow put her hand to his arm and got his attention.

"I'm not exactly thrilled either, but we owe him a debt and this will wipe the slate clean," she told her husband in a whisper.

"She's right, you know?" Rumpelstiltskin giggled as he appeared behind them, seemingly out of nowhere, making them both jump. "A few simple words from your pretty little princess and our deal is done. A small price to pay when you consider what I did for you," he said, a sharp-nailed finger pointing into his own chest and then at the two of them.

Across the room, Belle was knelt on the floor of the nursery, playing at a tea party with Princess Emma and a bunch of teddy bears and the like. The little girl was only seven, but easily as beautiful as her mother already. She knew little to nothing of what was really going on here, and her parents would be happy if she stayed that way. Still, they knew they did owe Rumpelstiltskin a debt, and this wasn't too heinous a way of paying it.

"You look like a doll," said young Emma, even as she poured fake tea into a cup for Belle. "A pretty doll."

"Well, thank you, Emma," she smiled back at her, accepting the cup with a nod of her head. "I do like your dress. No doll was ever so lucky as to have a dress like that."

"It's okay," the little princess shrugged, before moving in closer to Belle and speaking in a too loud whisper. "Most of the time, I wear pants and furs. Mama takes me out to ride and shoot arrows, and Daddy is getting me my first sword soon."

Belle wasn't entirely surprised to hear such tales from the princess. After all, Snow White and Prince Charming were both the adventurous type, and clearly modern thinking enough to want their little girl to be more than just a pretty but mindless young woman when she grew up. Belle was just a little jealous. Though she had been permitted to read from childhood, she had never been formerly educated in anything useful or brought up to be much more than a decorative wife for a man her father chose. Thank goodness it seemed such a fate did not await Princess Emma.

"Emma, sweetheart," said Queen Snow then as she approached.

Belle got up and moved away; watching from a spot between Rumpel and Charming whilst mother spoke to daughter.

"We appreciate what you are allowing, your majesty," she told the prince. "I promise you, no harm will come to Emma. We wouldn't dream of allowing that to happen."

He nodded to acknowledge she had spoken, but David never said a word. He wasn't happy, that much was clear, but Snow was right. They owed Rumpelstiltskin a debt and it would be paid today. If all went to plan, no harm would befall Emma. If it did... the little girl's father couldn't even bear to think of it.

A few moments later, Emma was positioned by the window. The prince drew his sword but hung back in the shadows of the nursery, mindful of the need to protect his daughter, and with his life, if necessary. Snow moved away from her baby girl, nodding for her to now call out as she had been asked. Emma looked uncertain but knew her parents would not ask her to do anything bad. She didn't understand why the doll-like lady was here, or what the strange imp of a man with her really was, but that couldn't matter now.

"You will have to move quickly," she heard the strange man tell her mother. "The moment the shadow appears..."

"I know," Snow answered, before turning her attention back to Emma. "Go ahead, honey," she encouraged her.

Nodding her head, Emma trained her eyes on the night sky, took a deep breath and called out; "I believe!"

At first, there was nothing. It seemed not to have worked at all, and then just when the assembled group thought something was wrong, the wind shifted. From the light of the almost-full moon, a black shape emerged. A dot in the distance was the shape of a person within seconds, headed straight for Emma.

"Now!" Rumpelstiltskin screamed, barrelling forward with Belle, as Snow grabbed her daughter out of harm's way.

Charming stepped up behind Rumpel, sword raised, prepared to defend his family from whatever happened next. He had no need to worry. The visiting couple grabbed onto the shadow's feet with the tightest of grips even as it tried to get away. The Shadow flew off, dragging its passengers behind. Emma peered out from behind her mother's arm, around her father's legs, to the view out of the window.

"Where are they going?" she asked, wide eyed and confused.

"Nowhere anybody should ever want to go," said Snow shakily, as Charming turned around to hug them both, sighing in relief that they were all safe yet.

"Somewhere most people never come back from."

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Chapter 5

_**(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)**_

Book 1, Chapter 5

Baelfire was lonely. He would never say so, even if he had someone to say it to, but he missed companionship, friends he had once known. His home was so very far away, not just in distance but in time. Too many decades spent here in Neverland, so many he had almost lost count of those years, lost to this island that was supposed to be so magical. Bae knew there were reasons enough to fear magic and all it could do. Meeting Pan had proven beyond doubt that he had been right to worry for his father and for himself. Magic had the ability to create wonderful things but also the power to destroy much. Friendships, families, people. Baelfire didn't want any part of it, such he had told Pan more times than he had a mind to calculate.

Bae was one of the few that seemed to make Pan uncomfortable, ill at ease. He had joined the Lost Boys very unwillingly, and yet the only person less pleased with Baelfire's presence than the boy himself had been Pan. The reason had never been revealed, but it wasn't long before Bae started trying to find ways off the island and away. On realising such a thing was as impossible as he had been told by Captain Hook, he never really gave up the struggle. Still, Baelfire knew he had to find a way to survive for as long as he was in Neverland. He found a place to make his home and hid there much of the time. Pan and the Lost Boys rarely bothered him, seemingly happy to let him live out his perpetual fourteen-year-old existence in relative peace.

As much as he tried to hate his Papa for allowing this to become his life, Baelfire always found it impossible to truly hate Rumpelstiltskin. The Dark One's powers had infected him, altered his mind, made him much more selfish than he had ever been before. Bae always thought it was him and his Papa against the world, but that world changed, and so they were ripped apart.

Every night when he went to sleep, the last image in Baelfire's mind was that of his father's face, twisted with the agony of a decision he hated to make. He screamed in panic at the idea of the Land Without Magic and Bae's fingers slipped through Rumpelstiltskin's grip. It had been terrifying, but at least in that world he had found friends, family.

There was no way to regret what he had done for the Darling family. Bae knew he had to prevent the Shadow from taking Wendy again, or either of her brothers. Never once had he wished things had been different, that one of them had been brought to Neverland instead of him. At least Baelfire knew how to survive out in the world, knew of magic and how such things worked, and he wasn't afraid. The son of the Dark One need never be afraid of anything after all he had already seen, heard, been a part of, but that didn't mean he liked being here in Neverland.

At night he dreamt of escape, plans that were impossible, ideas that were ridiculous. In the darkness, his imagination came alive, and he would go back to Enchanted Forest. There he found his father, sometimes his mother too. The world was soft and warm, and Baelfire was loved and never alone. When he woke each morning, just his cold lonely hideaway around him, no company or anyone to care, he used to cry. Now the breaking of each day brought steely resolve to the jaded young man who still looked fourteen and yet had lived so much longer. If no escape was to be had, then so be it. He could never completely give up hope, and he was certainly going to survive this ordeal for just as long as it lasted. He was no coward.

* * *

><p>Belle's every muscle was screaming as she stirred on the coarse sand of an unfamiliar beach. One hand went to her aching head as she fought to sit up and get her bearings. The journey to Neverland had been painful and far too long. She suspected the children brought here found flying fun and magical. It was a different story when two adults were fighting for free passage to the land of imagination against the will of their travelling companion.<p>

The Shadow had tried to shake them off at every opportunity, but Belle's grip was strong, as was Rumpelstiltskin's own. They held on tight, fought through the agony of being dragged what felt like miles and miles, some indeterminate distance across space, time, and worlds. They had only let go on Rumpel's own command when they reached land.

Belle had been terrified of falling into the sea. She could swim, of course, but she knew by now what horrors lie in wait in those waters. Mermaids swum beneath the surface, some evil creatures that would drown a pretty girl that was not of their kind without a second thought. Above the surface, at least one pirate ship was rumoured to sail, and Belle dreaded to think what her fate might be at such hands. As it was they were safe, or relatively so, she suspected. She was here with Rumpestiltskin and he appeared no less effected by their travelling experience than she was. Belle was grateful for that at least.

Rumpelstiltskin himself got to his feet much faster than Belle felt able to do. His eyes scanned the scenery, and a sense of familiarity came over him. Where such a feeling might usually be warm and comforting, the particular memories that sprang forth only brought a cold kind of pain and sadness.

"I never thought to be here again," he said, more to himself than to Belle.

It was true enough that Rumpel would have happily avoided Neverland for the rest of his days. Belle didn't wonder at it given his circumstances, but now they knew there was a way to get Baelfire back, they just had to come, there was no choice. Belle tried to stand but her legs refused to hold her. She slumped back onto the sand, breathing hard. Immediately she had Rumpel's attention.

"Take it slowly, dearie," he advised, reaching for her hands as he met her eyes. "Travelling across realms is quite the ordeal if you're not used to it," he smiled slightly, hoping to be comforting, sweet even.

Belle wondered how many people ever saw such good in him. She suspected perhaps no more than herself, Baelfire, and Rumpel's late wife. It was a shame. There was so much good buried deep inside the man that wore a supposed monster's face. He cared so much for her, she knew that he did.

Belle had to admit that a tiny part of her reason for wanting to help Rumpelstiltskin to find Bae was selfish. With his son back, Rumpel might just give up the powers he always felt he needed for tracking down his boy alone. Then he and Belle could finally be together fully, and with Baelfire they would be the happiest little family, she was certain, so very certain.

"We're here, Rumpel," she told him shakily. "We're within reach of your son."

His eyes sparkled at her words, glittering gold and green combined. He knew she was right, that they were closer to his son now than they had ever been. How they would find him, there was no way to know. How they would get back home, if such a thing were even possible, everything was so very up in the air, but what was certain was that they were all in the same place now. Baelfire was close by and they would find him, that much was definite, and Belle couldn't be happier when she saw Rumpel smile at the realisation of it.

* * *

><p>Baelfire had learnt to hunt and to do it well. Fish could be caught from the lake if one was careful of the creatures in the deeper water. Small animals could be snared or stunned with a well-fashioned catapult or similar. Berries and leaves from the surrounding vegetation balanced out his diet, so long as Dreamshade was duly avoided, and so Bae survived on this island they called Neverland. It was not a fine way to live, but he coped, he survived, always.<p>

When he did have the misfortune to run across the Lost Boys, Bae had also learnt to fight well. Mostly he had no need for a scuffle. As much as he learnt to track prey, he also knew the signs of being followed himself. Much of the time he was able to steer clear of trouble and that was just fine by him. Being alone would not be his first choice, but it was better than the alternative.

On this day, Bae had been out in the jungle, gathering more food to eat. He was half way back to his hide-out, when he realised he was not alone. The under brush was too damaged to be all his own doing. The birds were silent, the creatures that usually rustled in the trees had run away. That could only mean one thing.

"Pan," muttered Bae, quickening his pace.

He zig-zagged through the bushes and trees, mindful of leaving obvious tracks, determined not to be caught. It was almost useless and Baelfire knew it. If Peter Pan really wanted to catch up to him then he would. He had magic and was not afraid to use it, plus he knew the island best of anyone, but on that score at least Bae felt he was evening the odds. As time went on, he learnt the ways of Neverland, the landmarks, the terrain. It was easy to stay out of the way of those he would rather avoid, that was for sure.

Almost back to his hiding place, Bae considered making a detour and doubling back. He had a feeling Pan knew of his make-shift home, and yet he had never come and faced him there. If ever he wanted a face to face, he sent his Lost Boys to pick Baelfire up out of the jungle or from the lakeside and bring him back to their camp, usually blind-folded so he would never find it again by himself even if he had a mind to.

It moved a lot, the base camp of Pan and his Lost Boys. Bae thought he might be safer if he kept changing places himself, and yet he had become accustomed to his little hollow. Pan seemed to let him be there most of the time so he stuck to it, now he was afraid of having his hide away be discovered, if he really was being tracked.

Bae paused behind a tree and listened for sounds. Two pairs of feet trudged through the undergrowth. It was unlikely to be Pan himself, more likely Felix and a friend. Reaching down, Baelfire drew his sword, knowing he may yet need to fight to get away. His stalkers were very close and yet they were not calling him out or being particularly stealthy in their approach. Usually they appeared as if from nowhere or made it very clear they wanted his attention. This was different and it confused him.

"They want the unexpected, they can have it," he said quietly to himself, taking a deep breath and then rushing out from behind the trees.

Running full pelt as his supposed attackers, Baelfire bowled one of the dark-clad figures right over off his feet. He raised his sword ready to strike, but when his eyes met those of his victim he realised his mistake and stopped stock-still as a statue. A familiar gaze was upon him, a darkness underlying paternal affection that Bae had not seen for so very many years.

"Papa?" he said, as he took in the face of the Dark One staring back at him.

"Baelfire," Rumpelstiltskin smiled widely. "My son," he cried.

It was by instinct alone that they embraced one another, watched by a shaking Belle who was so overwhelmed by the whole situation. Neither man nor boy noticed her at all in this moment, and neither should they. This was a moment so very many years in the making. Finally, father and son had found each other again. There was a great deal of problems still to be overcome, but the largest of the obstacles had been surmounted. A family reunited and a bond doubtless to be reforged. Belle couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes as she watched the pair hug each other, it was almost too beautiful to bear.

_To Be Continued..._

**A/N2: This fic is now going on hold til 2015. I do this every year as I have a lot of other stuff to do in December, including a lot of fics to write for exchanges and as gifts for friends. Please rest assured, I will be back in the new year! :)**


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